Otto volz



uni'i'ro STATES P TENT OFFICE.

OTTO VOLZ, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

wrrrnasdflnnme wasnme COMPOUND.

No Drawing.

rata of the quantity thereof contained unserviceable for washing purpose, as these salts bind large quantities of soap so: that the latter is lost for its proper purpose, ac. to serve as a washing and cleansing medium.

As the insoluble lime and magnesia soaps,

formed when soap acts upon salts of the said 'kind, have no cleansing propertieswhatever,

and even will tend to grease and stain the linen, the soap consumed by separating and decomposing the salts rendering the water hard is not only absolutely wasted in the washing process, but the washing process itself is besides impeded by the earth alkali salts of the fatty acids deposited. For remedying this evil it is the custom, not to mention the special processes employed in and adapted for wholesale purposes only, such as the permutit process, to-add, for household andother minor purposes, a suitable quantity of soda or the like to the washing water or the soap, respectively. The object aimed is, however, thereby only partly and imperfectly secured, as carbonates of alkalis will remove only the socalled perma} nent hardness of the water, 2'. e. will decompose only the sulfates and chlorids of the earth alkalis and deposit them in form of carbonates, but will not destroy the socalled temporary hardness caused by the presence of bicarbonates of earth alkalis. The removal of the latter will always stillnecessitate a corresponding quantity ofsoap, which also then is prematurely destroyed by the for'mation of insoluble earth-alkali salts of the fatty acids and lost washing mediums. It is ossible to avoid this loss of soap by an addition of a corresponding quantity of. canstic line or caustic alkalis, but owing to the danger connected with their use it is not possible to employ them in a suitable manner in the household. i

\ Specification of Letters Patent,

Application filed July 22,

Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

1919. Serial No. 312,596.

The present invention consists in this that, for removing the temporary hardness, i. e. the hardness caused by bicarbonates, instead of free caustic alkali starch or vegetable matter rich in starch .and mixed to a medley with caustic alkalis is added in a corresponding quantity to the water to be softened, whereby by the intermediate formation of alkali carbonate simultaneously also a part of the permanent hardness is destroyed. The remaining permanent hardness may, then, be removed in the usual manner by means of soda or the like. This may be either done simultaneously or subsequently. The said starch mixed with caustic alkali is particularly adapted for removing the bicarbonates or the free carbonic acid in the water, because, if properly kept itwill last for an indefinite time, may be conveniently andbecause in a dry state it does not act causticsafely employed and is readily hydrolyzed in water, in particular in the presence of bicarbo'nates, whereby the bicarbonates are decomposed or the free carbonic acid is bound, respectively, and insoluble mo-nocarbonates are formed. Contrary to the known method of using, as an anti-boilerscales medium, alkalize-d cellulose or carbohydrates mixed with carbonates or silicates of alkalis the use ofstarch moistened with caustic alkali-lyes as a softener for washing and bathing water has the advantage that, on the one hand, water of any temperature may,-within a short time, be fully softened by the caustic alkali liberated by the hydrolysis, i. e. free,from the permanent and also from the temporary hardness, and, on the other hand, the starch,solution remaining in the softened water will, by its slimy properties favoring the slipping of the parts, have a general fayorable influence on the washing process. The emulsioning capacity of vegetable slimes with regard to dirt, oils and the like, and the protective effect of the smoothening of the starch slime against friction are generally known. The cellulose of the antiboiler-scales-preparation consisting of alkalized cellulose is not dissolved at all. It remains as such in the precipitate so that there are here no secondaryeffects favorable to the washing process, as will be produced by the dissolved starchy A further advantage of the new water mixture will, if kept in a normal manner, remain considerably longer non-decomposed and therefore remain effective as softening medium than alkalized cellulose, because the latter does not'form as intimate and uniform a combination with -.the caustic alkali as the starch, and practically absorbs it onl f borax is added there will be formed in the starch paste the salts'of the ortho and meta boric acid not existing in solutions. I I The partly saltlike binding of the caustic alkalis to the starch, or, in the example given, to the starch and the borax removes the caustic effect of free, not bound caustic 'carbonatesof the earthfalkali will be further favored by an addition of kaolin, talcum, fullers earth, (kieselguhr), chalk and the like, substances which will have both an acceleratin and absorbing effect; such additions furt er increase the durability of the softening medium. The removing ofthese insoluble materials together with theprecipitated earth alkali salts beforeusing R the water may, if desirable, be obtained by settling or filtering, but, as a rule, it is not necessary. i

By way of example, a suitable softening medium may be obtained bymixing 60 oz. potato flour, 16oz. finest chalk, 20 oz; powdered kaolin or talcum, 52 oz. caustib soda lye of 42%, 20 oz. powderedborax, I 32oz. calcinated, soda, v a in a suitable man'ner',the potato flour and the borax binding the free alkali and form-- ing a paste, which quickly hardens and may then be powdered or dosed by forming pastils, cakes and suchlike. s

For softening water i-oz. of the specified mixture is used for every 3 gallons of water and each degree of temporary hardness; it should, however, also be remembered that by this addition also about 2 degrees'ofpen manent hardness will be removed.

I claim:

A water softening washing compound .comprising approximately, by weight, 30 per cent. potato flour, 8 per cent. chalk, 10 per cent. powdered kaolin, 26 per cent. caustic soda, 10 per cent. powdered borax and 16 per cent. calcinated soda.

ltn testimony whereof Iaifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' DR. PHIL. OTTO VOLZ. Witnesses: N

LUCIE KRELLNBERG,

FRIEDA RosnNTHAL. a 

